I can’t belive it … In two days I am going to China. I have been planning this trip for 3 months. To be honest, it was a little hard to make it happen.

First of all … the plane ticket was expensive(at least for me). Second … you need a visa to enter China.  It was very easy to get the visa a few month ago, almost a formality, but now, with the Olympic Games and all, the Chinese embassy  is way more strict.

So what do you need to do if you want to visit China ?

First of all … check the web site of the Chinese embassy in your country to see if you meet the reqirements to apply for a visa. Here I had a real problem. On the web site was clearly written: to get a Chinese visa you need:   The plane ticket(I think a plane reservation is good too), the passport( must have more than 2pages empty and must be valid for at least 6months at the time you leave for China, two photos of you – passport type and some money to pay the tax – the tax is 25$, but if you want to get the visa the same day you need to pay an extra 30$). When I got there, I was told that I also need a hotel reservation. Even if you have a friend where you could stay, or you own a place in China, you still need a hotel reservation. The emmbasy  is open to public for 4-5hours, two days a week  and I could not get the visa that day. I have a friend where I will stay, so I don’t need a hotel reservation … I searched the net for a few hours and found a nice portal where you can make a hotel resevation without giving  any  credit card details. So, the second time at the emmbasy I got my visa. The visa must be issued at least 7 days before you part. Another thing is that, at the Chinese embassy(at least in Bucharest), they only accept US dollars. So, be prepared.

Next … buy a plane ticket.  I bought the plane ticket online. Don’t  rush into buying the first plane ticket you find. I looked for a week before I bought it. Price can vary from 10+20 Euro to a few hundred Euro. For example, I payed 800Euros for my ticket(Bucharest – Amsterdam – Shanghai – Dalian  and back), but I came across prices like 1000euros, even 1300 Euro.  The main airline companies that have flights to China are: Air France(From France), KLM(Holland), Aeroflot(Russia) and British Airways(Great Britain). From these four airline companies, the cheapest are KLM and Air France.    I am flying with KLM and I heard they have great services. Of course I will give a feedback after the flight.

Posted by George as Travel Stories

Tags: Chinese embassy, visit China